Switch for overhead tracks



Dec. 26, 1950 s. LE FIELL SWITCH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1947 INVENTOR. S/aney Le F/e/l Dec. 26, 1950 5. LE FIELL 2,535,541

SWITCH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS Filed Sept. 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 5 INVENTOR. Hg 4 Sidney Ze F/e/l BY GLAQA'L'UM Aff'y Patented Dec. 26, 1950 SWITCH FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS Sidney Le Fiell, San Francisco, Calif.

Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,760

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in switch units and has particular reference to a unit to be inserted within the ordinary overhead tracks such as are used in warehouses, and which unit will enable the user to transfer a load from one section of the track to another, as for example, the load may pass along a straight portion of the track or be switched to one side onto a curved portion of the track or vice versa.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which may be used with the present day installations without materially altering the same.

A still further object is to produce an installation which is economical both to manufacture and to install.

. Another object is to produce a unit which is positive in. its operation and one, therefore, wherein there is no danger of a load running off of the track through the non-alignment of the switch track sections actuated thereby.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a top plan view of my unit.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my unit on a reduced scale showing the curved section of the switch in place.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing the straight section of the switch in place, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing six possible switch combinations.

In many warehouses, storage plants, meat packing plants and the like overhead tracks are used for the purpose of transporting various commodities suspended from hangers and rollers which travel on the tracks. This enables a person to move a comparatively heavy load with a minimum amount of effort to distant points.

In order to conserve space it is customary to place these tracks relatively close together in parallel relation and to then provide switching means whereby a load may be moved from one track to another or from a main track into side tracks. These units have heretofore been built up as needs required, the work being accomplished many times upon the job with a consequent lack of tools, forges, etc. This makes it exceedingly difficult to line up the various ends of the straight and the curved sections particularly at the switching points.

Inasmuch as such installations are very expensive and frequently get out of order, applicant has, therefore, devised a switch unit which may be preformed and later inserted at the switching point with a minimum amount of effort and expense.

Applicant has also devised means whereby the two elements of the switch prop-er, i. e., the curved section and the straight section are interconnected so that when one section is moved out of position the other section is moved in positively and automatically.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 desighates a substantially U -shaped brace which serves to Support ,a curved rail section 6 and a straight rail section 1.

The curved section 6 is connected to a straight section 8 in alignment with the straight section I by a curved bridge-piece 9 of less height than the height of the track sections 6 and 8, thus forming a recess between the adjacent ends of the rail sections 6 and 8.

This bridge-piece 9 has secured thereto and extending therefrom a pair of parallel plates II and I2 which serve to journal parallel shafts l3 and [4.

The shaft I3 has a gear I6 formed thereon which meshes with a gear I! secured to the shaft l4.

Also secured to the shaft I4 is a substantially U-shaped arm I8 which has a straight track switch section l9 secured thereto, the purpose of which will be later seen.

The shaft l3 has an arm 2| secured thereto and to which is secured a curved track switch section 22.

Extending from the arm 18 is a bracket 23, to the end of which is secured an operating cable 24.

In Fig. 3 I have designated in dotted lines the path of movement of the switch rail sections as they travel from their track alignment positions to their out of alignment positions.

The result of this construction is that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the unit has been aligned with the ends of the permanent tracks at the points A, B and C, then a load moving onto the track section 6 from the point C may pass over this curved part 6 onto the curved switch portion 22 and onto the straight portion 8, and off the end A onto further track, or vice versa.

By now pulling upon the cable 24 the arm 23 will tend to rotate the shaft 14, together with its attached parts, and consequently, this rotation through the gear connections l6 and i! will rotate the shaft 13 with its attached parts, resulting in the curved switch track section 22 raising out of its alignment with the sections 6 and 8 and passing in a clockwise direction through the first dotted line position of Fig. 3 to the second dotted line position, and at the same time the straight switch track section I9 will move from its full line position of Fig. 3 through the dotted line position of this figure and into alignment with the straight track sections 1' and 8, as shown in Fig. 4, at which time loads may cross the switch from the point A to the point B, or vice versa.

At this time the arm 23 will be in a rearward position from that previously mentioned, or in the position shown in Fig. 4.

A downward pull upon the cable 24 will now reset the parts to the position of Fig. 2, and thus by pulling upon the cable 24, either the straight switch section or the curved switch section may be quickly moved into place.

In order to prevent the wheels of a carrier moving off of the end of the straight section I, I provide a safety latch 26 and inasmuch as such latches are common, further description thereof is unnecessary.

As shown in Fig. 5, the switch unit may be constructed so as to accommodate for any one of the various switch requirements, as for example, turning to the right or to the left or from one curved section to another curved section.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a device which will perform all of the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be 4 taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: A switch unit for suspended overhead tracks and comprising a pair of straight track sections in end-to-end alignment, a curved track section spaced laterally from one of said straight track sections, an inverted U-shaped brace connecting said curved section and one of said straight track sections, said U-shaped brace being attached to the side of said straight and curved sections at a point below the top plane thereof, a bridge piece connecting said curved section and the other of said straight track sections not connected to said U-shaped brace, the top of said bridge piece being below the plane of said straight and curved sections, and means for alternately moving a curved switch provision onto said bridge portion, or a straight switch portion between the two straight track sections.

SIDNEY LE FIELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 571,607 Werner Nov. 17, 1896 1,072,409 Wright et a1 Sept. 2, 1913 1,327,290 Oehler Jan. 6, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 187,489 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1922 483,167 France Mar. 10, 1917 

